National City cat fight ends with change in policy

NATIONAL CITY  A battle between local animal groups and the National City animal control department ended Tuesday when council members modified an ordinance that inadvertently prevented a nonlethal way to manage the feral cat population.

Councilman Luis Natividad cast the sole vote against the change.

A population control method, known as Trap-Neuter-Release, was illegal in National City because of a city code preventing anyone from feeding feral cats outside.

In order to secure the cats for spay or neuter, animal groups were luring them into traps with food.

“Because of the way your charter is written, it is essentially illegal to spay and neuter feral cats in National City, which increases their nuisance in this community,” Josh Hirschmiller of the Feral Cat Coalition told the council at a prior meeting. Hirschmiller accused National City of dealing with its feral cat population by taking them to the Chula Vista Animal Center to be euthanized.

There are approximately 8,000 feral cats in National City, according to animal control group estimates. Last year, about 659 cats, of which 227 were feral, were brought to the Chula Vista shelter from National City.

The coalition estimated National City spent about $60,000 paying the Chula Vista Animal Shelter to euthanize the cats, but National City police Lt. Jose Tellez pegged the amount at $13,000.

A rule preventing the public from feeding feral cats for any reason other than to catch them for sterilization is still on the books.